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The Royal Treatment in our own Glass Tower

The Royal Treatment in our own Glass Tower

Monday 10 March 2014

ANGELA Merkel was entertained there last week, as was Queen Elizabeth during her state visit in 2011. I'm talking about the CCD – Convention Centre Dublin – the dramatic, tilted glass tower on the northside of the Liffey docklands that gives the leaning Tower of Pisa a run for its money.

Since opening in 2010, it has seen thousands of people through its doors – but be they royalty or ordinary folk, diplomats or delegates, they all have to eat.

It's a daunting prospect, hosting and feeding so many people, from small groups to big conventions, but this is what Una O'Dowd will be heading up when she becomes general manager of hospitality at the CCD on March 18.

Una grew up in Lucan, Co Dublin, and comes from a "family of teachers". The middle daughter of a family of three girls, her mother is from Longford and her father, from Kilkenny, was a maths teacher and deputy head of Clongowes Wood College.

Having done the Leaving Certificate, she made the decision to break the mould and go to Shannon College of Hotel Management from where she graduated in 1992.

"That training brought me to Basle in Switzerland. The company did a lot of high-end catering so I could be going to work at 3am to do canapes and then perhaps go out and serve them on a boat," Una explained. Basle is located where the French, German and Swiss borders meet so the events could be in any of those countries.

Her next move was to the UK where she worked with the Trusthouse Forte Group, returning to Ireland in 1996 as food & beverage manager at Forte Crest in Dublin Airport.

"I introduced a Chinese restaurant to the hotel, which was probably their first time doing a secondary 'typically different' restaurant and the bar itself was probably one of the busiest at the time.

"While there, I also took care of the Irish rugby team and the Irish football team as regards the logistics for their food whilst abroad. Our chefs, led by head chef David Steele, cooked their food so basically we were taking care of the teams. We would buy in the food from our suppliers, vacuum pack it, so they knew where it was sourced. With their diets, it was paramount that a particular amount of calories be included each day and that they would stay on their regime," she said.

In 2000, Una took a year off to see where she wanted to go with her career, and went to Australia.

"Funnily enough, I ended up working on the stock exchange being an assistant for brokers – my argument in the interview being if I could sell hotel bedrooms, I could sell hotel stocks and bonds.

"It was the height of the boom with everyone buying stocks, shares, and it was just fascinating. I've seen the film The Wolf of Wall Street and it was all of that. Going out to lunch, not returning, it was just all way too much money but it was incredible to watch.

"When I came back, I decided to try and do something different," she said.

Una approached McNally Design International, an architectural practice involved in hospitality design.

"They had one division which worked on the Irish Pub Company and then their other side was hotel design and so for five years I ended up being a concept developer. With offices in America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia, the job took me to Dubai, Shanghai, Japan, Korea, Australia and the US," she said.

"In Japan, we set up an Irish restaurant bar in Hiroshima for a client. The next project was in Korea with Starwood Hotels and with space being at a premium in Korea, they did a food court. It was in the main business and finance district with a cocktail bar, a Japanese area, an Italian and a bar. We did the Italian concept and the bar. I do particularly remember my first experience on arrival in Seoul where I was brought out to dinner by the CEO and management team.

The gourmet choice was an exclusive 'dog' restaurant and, whilst respecting the Korean culture, I managed to avoid insulting them by pretending that I avoided eating full meals as part of a routine of tackling jet lag.

"However, I still had to sit at the table of eight men and sip green tea whilst they devoured a variety of doggy delicacies.

"In my entire time in Seoul, I never once saw a dog being walked on the streets."

Having spent five years working on projects all over the world, living in hotels and living out of suitcases, she returned to Ireland and joined Clarion Hotels in the role of hospitality and strategic development.

"I'm coming up to 24 years in the business now so it has probably been 12 years in hotel management and 12 years in design."

Una's new role as general manager of hospitality at CCD will see her looking after all the events and conferences.

"It could be in the library or a big event such as last week, which involved dignitaries and aides. So there were dinners and conferences and all of that with relevant security clearances involved," said Una.

"It is a change for them [CCD] as well to go for somebody with a hotel background rather than a contract catering background but, because of the nature of the building and the nature of the clients coming through there, they want to bring that touch. They already do exceptional food.

"The executive chef, Lenny Fearon, is also director of Fitzer's Catering Group and I will be joining them as they have the contract in the CCD.

"He has worked in Michelin star restaurants in London and abroad so he brings that level to the catering right up to extreme private dining and executive dining. He is extremely passionate about food and I am looking forward to us working together," she said.

First Published in the Sunday Independent